The Lab Report

When it comes to the gastrointestinal tract, we often focus on the balance of the commensal bacteria to optimize health. But, if that balance is interrupted, or the microbiome is lacking, some of the bacteria can overgrow. At higher levels of growth, patients can experience symptoms. There are also some important disease associations with overgrowth of specific species. Because of this potential, we designate these aerobic bacteria as potential pathogens.

On today’s episode, we unpack the concept of potential pathogens and talk about what to do- and what not to do- when you find them on a stool test.  

Today on The Lab Report:

• 2:55 Potentially pathogenic bacteria – what are they and when should we worry?
• 7:30 Klebsiella - symptoms and systemic associations
• 10:52 Why you don’t always treat a potential pathogen
• 12:25 Concerns about Proteus
• 14:40 Citrobacter is common but has potential
• 15:45 Let’s Recap!
• 17:00 Question of the Day with Jim Kelton!
  • What does 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+ mean on the GI Effects culture results?

Additional Resources:

GI Effects Comprehensive Stool Profile

Pathogenic Bacteria & Yeast Chart

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Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Dukes is functional medicine nurse practitioner with a burgeoning practice and growing online social media presence. Her expertise is vast - working with women in prenatal and postnatal care, helping professional athletes optimize performance, and improving the health of thousands of patients including CEO’s and celebrities.

On today’s show, we discuss her journey from conventional to functional medicine and her unique approach to wellness.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 3:20 Meet the fabulous Taylor Dukes
• 6:50 Taylor’s approach to fertility and postnatal care
• 10:05 Implementing functional medicine testing
• 11:25 Where to start with professional athletes
• 13:55 Telemedicine in practice
• 16:20 Work/Life balance for working moms
• 18:30 The Fireball

Additional Resources:

Taylor's website

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kara Collier is a registered dietician who specializes in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). CGM is a wearable device that measures glucose levels throughout the day to evaluate your body’s response to dietary changes, stress, and exercise. Knowing this information can help you make personalized dietary and lifestyle changes to prevent metabolic dysfunction down the road or improve your current health. 

On today’s episode, Kara explains the importance of CGM. We also discuss various patterns that might be seen and things you can do to optimize your daily choices.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 2:50 Kara Collier on her journey to nutrition technologies
• 6:15 What is CGM and how is NutriSense different?
• 11:00 Spike, area under the curve, average glucose variability
• 15:20 Glucose and stress/exercise
• 17:50 Ketogenic diets and CGM
• 19:35 Asymptomatic hypoglycemia
• 21:00 CGM in the menstrual cycle and interpersonal variability
• 25:55 The Fireball

Additional Resources:

NutriSense

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using temperature therapeutically is becoming increasingly popular. Saunas and cold immersion ice baths are being touted in the biohacking community for overall longevity. Published research surely backs this up. The health benefits of thermogenesis and sauna are seen in cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, immune optimization, detoxification, and many other clinical conditions.

Today we discuss sauna and cold immersion with Andrew Nehlig and Jennifer Richter. They own and operate ‘Sauna House’, a premier Nordic-styled bathhouse located in Asheville, NC. They are passionate about their work and share their insight regarding the health benefits of sauna.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 3:00 Meet Andrew and Jen!
• 7:30 Different types of sauna
• 10:00 Amazing health benefits
• 14:15 How long? How often? Too much? 
• 19:45 Immunity and sauna
• 21:23 Temperature therapy and mood
• 25:25 Hot then cold or cold then hot
• 29:05 The Fireball

Additional Resources:

Sauna House

Sauna, Heart Disease, and Decreased Mortality

Immunity and Temperature Therapy

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The art of the physical exam is often overlooked in favor of testing. Although Genova’s nutritional profiles are designed to uncover subtle nutrient insufficiencies, there are many physical hints and clues which can give additional insights and perhaps lead you to consider testing. The areas of the body with rapid cell turnover are the first places to manifest these subtle changes.

On today’s episode, we resurrect the physical exam and review findings which may reflect your patient’s nutritional status.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 3:35 Is the physical exam dead?
• 5:25 Global observations
• 7:00 Hair and scalp
• 9:45 Mouth – tongue, gums, and dentition
• 15:35 Let’s Define Some Terms! – ‘Erythematous’
• 16:30 Skin bumps and rashes
• 18:50 Fingernails
• 21:00 Question of the Day
  • How long does it take to reverse these findings with supplementation?

Additional Resources:

NutrEval

Metabolomix+

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a common underlying cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).  Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, excessive gas, or nausea are all hallmark SIBO symptoms. When it comes to diagnosis, the gold standard is endoscopic small bowel aspiration. This method is invasive, inconvenient, and not without risk. Breath testing and stool testing are now more commonly used.

Today we dive into some specific patterns seen on stool testing that may point toward a SIBO diagnosis in symptomatic patients.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 2:50 IBS and bacteria in the small intestine
• 6:15 Symptoms of SIBO
• 7:35 Stool testing for IBS
• 9:05 Commensal abundance
• 10:00 Digestion and absorption markers
• 12:30 What do we think we know?
  • Pancreatic elastase 1 and SIBO
• 16:35 Gut metabolites
• 17:50 Methanobrevibacter smithii and methane dysbiosis
• 19:50 Bacterial culture
• 20:50 Question of the Day
  • How does methane slow transit time?

Additional Resources:

GI Effects Comprehensive Stool Profile

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cellular respiration is the process of converting our food into energy to fuel the body. It involves many biochemical reactions to create a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - our main energy source. When it comes to ATP production, many of us think about the Krebs Cycle not realizing it is only part of the story. The Electron Transport Chain bears the brunt of the work to keep our cells alive and our bodies functioning optimally.

Although biochemistry can seem challenging, in today’s episode we break it down into simplistic terms and explain why you should care about it. Listen as we discuss the importance of the electron transport chain.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 2:15 Basic overview of cellular respiration and ATP
• 4:50 Breaking it down
• 7:45 The Krebs Cycle and NADH/FADH2
• 8:30 Electron Transport Chain and the bucket brigade
• 10:55 ATP Synthase is cool
• 13:20 High-level recap
• 14:15 Oxidative stress and CoQ10
• 17:30 Question of the Day:
  • Who is Krebs?

Additional Resources:

ATP Synthase in action

NutrEval

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Due to the pandemic, many of us are working from home, and looking to optimize our immunity. The behavioral and lifestyle changes we promote in functional medicine are key to having metabolic flexibility and immune system resiliency. However, there are supplements and herbs often used to improve the immune response. Astragalus is a root that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for hundreds of years as it relates to infectious disease.

Today, we dive into herbal medicine and discuss the many health benefits of astragalus.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 3:20 Tinctures and extracting medicinal herbs
• 6:10 What is astragalus and why would we take it?
• 8:40 Plants are the basis for all medications
• 10:10 Astragalus – mechanism of action                                  
• 13:30 What’s in a Name?
• 15:50 Question of the Day?
  • How do herbal supplements affect test results?

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In functional medicine, the focus is on getting to the root cause of disease. Sometimes subtle nutritional insufficiencies can result in significant clinical consequences. By measuring steps in biochemical pathways called organic acids, we can uncover nutrient cofactor needs. One important biochemical process is the kynurenine pathway. The enzymes involved are highly dependent on vitamin B₆. Knowing this, abnormal organic acid levels within the kynurenine path can reveal vitamin B₆ insufficiencies. In addition, this pathway and its metabolites have important clinical implications.

In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of the kynurenine pathway, what each step means, how we measure them, and what you can do about it.

Today on the Lab Report:

• 2:35 The kynurenine pathway starts with tryptophan
• 5:15 What’s the end product and what drives this metabolism?
• 9:20 Kynurenic acid and NMDA receptors
• 11:30 Xanthurenic acid elevations
• 12:15 Quinolinic acid and why we worry about it
• 13:35 Ratio between KA and QA
• 14:35 Logical Speculation: Serotonin Tryptophan Steal
• 18:35 How and where we measure these organic acids
• 19:25 Question of the Day
  • What about serotonin metabolites?

Additional Resources:

NutrEval

Metabolomix+

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dietary fat is broken down into fatty acids in our body. Fatty acids are important for many bodily functions including energy production, making cell membranes, and for signaling the inflammatory cascade. Among the several types of fatty acids, omega-3s have special benefits. Many people take supplements containing them in the form of fish oil. But, why? Can we get omega-3s in food? Why do we need them? How are they beneficial?

In today’s episode, we introduce the omega-3 fatty acids. We discuss their naming convention, their health benefits, and we single out a few of the main players.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 2:55 What is a fatty acid and where do those names come from?  
• 7:05 The benefits of omega-3s
• 8:25 Dietary sources
• 12:05 Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
• 14:00 Supplementing with fish oil
• 17:35 Better Know a Biomarker
• 22:10 Question of the Day
  • How do we decide which fish oil supplement is best?

Additional Resources:

NutrEval

Metabolomix+

Subscribe, Rate, & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button and give us a rating or leave a review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most interesting and pressing questions on functional medicine: [email protected].

And, be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions and views of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.